ADL to European Foreign Ministers: Designate Hezbollah Now

New York, NY, February 6, 2013 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is once again calling on governments of the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization following Bulgaria’s decision to implicate Hezbollah as responsible for the July 2012 terror attack on a busload of Israeli tourists.

In light of yesterday’s statements by the Bulgarian government implicating Hezbollah in the attack and adding another incident to a well-documented list of Hezbollah’s terrorist pursuits for over thirty years, ADL said that “now is not a time for further deliberation by the European Union.”

“It is a time for decisive action against the murderous reign of terror by Hezbollah on European soil and in support of Bulgaria, the latest site of Hezbollah's evil work and a fellow EU member state,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “They are responsible for scores of terrorist attacks around the world including the infamous 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the murders of hundreds of American military personnel, as well as direct and unprovoked attacks against Israel, including sending rockets into Israeli civilian population centers.”

In a letter sent to European Union members, ADL emphasized the impact such a designation would have in aiding international efforts to inhibit Hezbollah from committing further heinous acts of terror.

“While some have argued for a distinction between Hezbollah’s terrorist arm and its political activities, we believe that is an unsupportable fiction,” Mr. Foxman wrote. “The nature of the unceasing operations conducted by this non-state terrorist actor in Europe and throughout the world is clear. We respectfully urge the EU to act now to curtail Hezbollah’s murderous initiatives by designating it as a terrorist organization.”

ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.